Carole Rothstein is a most interesting lady.

I spoke with her about her immaculately restored 218-year-old house on Bush River Road.

Her house is a historical treasure to Lexington County as well as part of the history of the Dreher Shoals Dam.

As we sat in one of the original rooms of the house, I marveled at the beautiful hardwood floors. They hold 218 years worth of memories, laughter, tears and family conversations around the fireplace.

The story of this beautiful house began in 1772 when Leonhardt Shuler received 200 acres of land from the King’s grant.

The Shuler house was built around 1800, by John R. Shuler.

By 1850, the plantation had expanded to 1,150 acres. Cattle, sheep, hogs, wheat, corn, rice, cotton, peas, potatoes, honey, and hay fields could be seen on the plantation grounds.

The house was built as a Carolina “I” house, with two rooms downstairs and two rooms on top. The walls are made of hand-planed long-leaf pine.

Carole said, “You can’t drive a nail into the walls, you have to use a drill to hang a picture.” You have to wonder what the walls would say if they could talk.

The original glass windows, shipped from England can be seen in the house, along with the original strap hinges on the doors. The Robert Mills 1820 map shows the home as “Shuler’s Selwood.”

On the website Chronicling America, on June 13, 1900, the Lexington Dispatch announced that Dr. J.R. Shuler had agreed to take the position of postmaster at Selwood.

He would make a daily delivery between Irmo, Selwood and the post offices at Wessinger and Countsville.

Mrs. Thomas Shuler loved to cook. During the dam construction in 1920, she fed many of the officials of the Lexington Water Power Company in her dining room. They also boarded at Selwood and hosted many informal meetings.

Joseph Lawrence purchased the home in 1949 and updated it to modern standards.

“When Lawrence bought it, there was no paint, electricity, plumbing, and chickens ran underneath the house where the granite blocks from Dreher shoals supported the structure,” Carole said.

Jerry and Carole Rothstein bought the house in 1973 --it was love at first sight.

“When we drove up the long drive and parked in the front under the trees, we probably hadn’t even stopped the car before we looked at each other and said, ‘we’ve got to have it,’” Jerry said.

Currently, Selwood is for sale. After 47 years, the Rothstein’s are downsizing.

Carole said that she and Jerry are intent on preserving the home’s history and the memory of those who came before. “It’s more than ownership, we have a sense of guardianship of this property.”

They hope the future owners will treasure it and enjoy it the way they did for almost half a century.

Selwood has stood for 218 years, and the Rothsteins hope it will always be preserved.

What is the worth of an old house? The Rothsteins and I agree – they are priceless.